Brimstone

Chapter Nineteen

When the door had closed and Sheppard was gone, Teyla was unable to contain herself. “Why would he just go with them? He said we should stay together and he didn’t even put up a fight.” Her fists were clenched and her eyes sparked with anger.

Ronon shook his head. “Something’s going on. Sheppard wouldn’t just leave us behind.”

“He shouldn’t have let them separate us,” Teyla said. “We need to get off this moon and back to Atlantis, and now before we can do that we must also find John.”

Suddenly, Rodney shot up from his seat on the bed. He looked like a parent about to get irritated with bickering children. “I don’t see what you’re so upset about. I mean, you saw the wink, right? Sheppard winked. And a wink means a plan. That’s why he went with them. He has a plan.”

“What plan?” Cumby objected. “What plan, Rodney?”

“How should I know? I don’t have a little Sheppard decoder tucked in behind my ear. I just know the wink.”

“He’s right,” Ronon said. “It doesn’t feel right, because we don’t know everything that’s going on. But if he let them take him that easy, Sheppard has a plan.”

Teyla shot him a doubtful look and sat down. “What do we do in the meantime? Simply sit here and wait for them to take us to our deaths? I do not wish to stay in this room like a sitting duck.”

“Sitting duck?” Ronon said. “Not me. They’re welcome to try and take me anytime they like.”

“Oh swell,” Rodney sighed. “I’m stuck on the far side of a broken Stargate holed up with Sitting Duck and Crouching Tiger.”

Teyla frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Before he could answer there was another knock at the door. He exchanged a wary glance with Cumby as Teyla and Ronon stood to meet whoever — or whatever — came through it. Ronon pulled the door open with a jerk and Saul stood just outside, flanked by his two burly guards.

“Where is Colonel Sheppard?” Teyla said, chin raised in defiance.

“Colonel Sheppard is fine. No need to worry.” Saul stepped forward, into the room and Teyla backed up a step. “It’s the rest of you I’d be worried about. Colonel Sheppard has friends.”

“No need to worry about us.” Rodney cleared his throat. “We’re just peachy, thanks.”

“Our time here runs short,” Saul said.

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk like the villain in a really bad science fiction movie?” Rodney replied. “I suppose by ‘Our time here runs short,’ you mean that whole crashing into the sun thing? Yes. I can see how that would put a crimp in your plans. Maybe you should postpone your little ‘entertainment’ and work on your real problem?”

“But crashing into the sun is our plan,” Saul said. “It’s a grand and glorious end to our civilization.”

“Really?” Rodney didn’t bother to veil his disdain. “And this is everyone’s plan? You took a vote? Because I’d be willing to bet that it wasn’t something the good citizens of Admah came up with over tea and crumpets. What did you do, threaten to throw everyone who didn’t agree with you into your arena?”

“On the contrary, Dr. McKay. My people and I are in complete agreement on this. Boredom is a horrible thing. Its power grows as the centuries pass. When you can no longer grow as a civilization, when you’re stagnant, when life offers no more inspiration or challenge, it’s time to end the pain.”

“Funny, nobody here looks like they’re in pain. They all seem exceptionally happy, as a matter of fact. Except for that whole impending doom thing.” Rodney stabbed a finger at one of the guards. “He doesn’t look like he’s in pain. Are you unhappy? Does your job as hired muscle no longer fulfill you? And you — did you vote for this suicide by sunburn plan? I’d bet not.”

Saul grew ever redder in the face and the guards, whose sole focus was on the sputtering Rodney, didn’t notice as Ronon and Teyla slipped along the wall, toward the door. Suddenly, Rodney wheeled on Saul, his face crimson and his eyes blazing.

“And what you’re doing isn’t glorious or honorable. It’s mass murder! You’ve been sending innocent people to their deaths for decades and now that you’re bored, you’ve decided to kill them all in one last blaze of glory? How is that honorable? How is that glorious? It’s got to be the most idiotic plan I’ve ever heard.”

“Stop them!”

Ronon and Teyla were only a few feet from the door when Saul cried out his order. The guards spun at his command and sprang to block their way. They grabbed the fugitives by both arms and hauled them backward, away from the door.

Ronon spun and drove back into the wall, crushing the guard who held him into the wall beside the door. Without hesitation he turned and slammed his fist up in a short, hard shot to the guard’s jaw. The man was stunned and Ronon pressed his advantage, swinging a second shot from his hip.

Teyla cried out as she was thrown off balance and toppled backward to the floor. The guard — easily twice her size — reached for her, but she swept his legs hard, sending him crashing to the side with a roar of pain. In one swift motion, Teyla rolled onto him, caught him by each wrist as he fell, and flipped him onto his stomach, arms crossed over his chest. She held him there, pulling up on both wrists almost to the point where his arms were ripped from their sockets, one knee crushing his back.

The guard at Ronon’s side recovered and delivered a smashing blow to the side of Ronon’s jaw. He staggered, just for a second, but the blow had no other appreciable effect on him. Ronon grabbed the man’s arm, levered one hand behind his neck and threw him against the wall.

Teyla’s guard struggled and shifted beneath her until finally he had his legs curled beneath him. With a loud yell, he threw himself — and thus Teyla — from the floor. The two tumbled backward, arms and legs pin wheeling. The guard landed on top of Teyla, and no matter how she struggled, she could not get out from under him. He had her pinned, one hand to her throat, the other fending off her glancing blows.

Rodney cried out at that and instinctively raised the laptop over his head, ready to deliver a crushing blow to the back of the guard’s head. In mid-swing he stopped, eyes locked on the computer. He hesitated, and in that moment, Cumby finally acted.

Grabbing a heavy, decorative vase, he moved with surprising speed and slammed the vase into the back of the guard’s head. The man toppled off of Teyla like a broken doll and she rolled to one knee, turning.

Ronon had his guard against the wall now, large body pressed tight against it with one hand as the other continued to bang his head against the stone wall in a steady rhythm.

“Ronon! Look out!” Cumby cried.

Something bit Ronon in the neck. He felt the sharp pain, the sudden near-convulsive shudders rushing through him. The next thing he knew he was on the floor, writhing uncontrollably and staring up at Saul, who held a small electronic device in his hand. It was aimed at Cumby, and he held a second trained on Teyla. Footsteps sounded in the passage beyond the open door.

“That will be enough of that,” Saul said. “If you should ever be so stupid as to try and escape again, I’ll throw you all into the next combat together. Without weapons.”

As Ronon dragged himself to his feet, guards poured into the room, weapons raised. The team stood down, backing together against the far wall. Rodney stepped behind Ronon quickly and tucked the computer under his jacket while he was out of sight.

“Take them all to the arena,” Saul said. “Put them in the holding cells for the entertainment. That will keep them out of trouble until we’re ready for them.” He dusted off his hands and smiled. “Judging by your performance here, you won’t offer much entertainment value for the audience — but you might serve as comic relief.”

“You’re crazy. You know that, right?” Rodney stepped forward quickly and the others followed. He kept the computer clutched under his arm and did his best to be inconspicuous. Cumby pressed in beside him, as if he was in a hurry to turn himself over to the guards.

Teyla stepped out after them, and Ronon brought up the rear. He moved purposefully and slowly, still angry from the shock he’d taken, and ready for another round with any guard foolish enough to press their luck.

Saul trailed after the group, following at a safe pace as the guards led them toward the arena.